The present disclosure relates to a sheet feeding device for feeding sheets, an image forming apparatus provided with the sheet feeding device, and an image reading device provided with the sheet feeding device.
Conventionally, there is known a sheet feeding device to be loaded in an image forming apparatus for feeding sheets. The sheet feeding device is provided with a sheet tray and a conveyor roller. A sheet of a sheet stack on the sheet tray comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the conveyor roller. When the conveyor roller is rotated, the sheet is conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction. Further, there is known a technology, in which a conveyor roller is mountable and dismountable to and from a housing of a sheet feeding device.
The sheet feeding device having the above configuration is provided with a drive shaft, a support shaft, and the conveyor roller. The drive shaft is rotatably supported in the housing for transmitting a rotational driving force to the conveyor roller. When the conveyor roller is mounted on a mounting portion disposed in the housing, an engaging portion disposed at a distal end of the drive shaft is engaged with an engaged portion formed on one of the side surfaces of the conveyor roller. Further, the support shaft disposed in the housing is inserted in a bearing portion formed on the other of the side surfaces of the conveyor roller. The engaging portion of the drive shaft is engaged with the engaged portion of the conveyor roller, whereby the conveyor roller is driven and rotated.